Apparatus for pressing cigar bunches



Jan. 17, 1967 M. VERBAKEL 3,298,377

APPARATUS FOR PHESSING CIGAR BUNCHES Filed Aug. 27, 1964 INVENTOR MARTiNus VERBA/(EL BY g w 1 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,298,377 I APPARATUS FOR PRESSING CIGAR BUNCHES Martinus Verbakel, Eiudhoven, Netherlands, assignor to Areuco-P.M.B. n.v., Eindhoven, Netherlands, a company of the Netherlands Filed Aug. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 392,554 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Aug. 28, 1963, 297,230 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-87) The invention relates to an apparatus for pressing cigar bunches, provided with a Wheel mounted for stepwise rotation, on the periphery of which inner moulds for the cigar bunches to pressed are mounted with their longitudinal axes parallel to the axis of the wheel and at equal peripheral distances, said inner moulds each cooperating with an individual outer mould mounted for swinging about a shaft which is pivotally supported in the wheel and extends parallel to the axis of the wheel, said outer mould being forced into the corresponding inner mould by a spring, and with means adapted to swing, both at a loading station and at a discharging station, the outer mould cooperating with the inner mould, which is at such a station, out of said inner mould against the force of the spring.

In the known pressing apparatus for cigar bunches of this kind, the inner moulds are mounted on the rotattable wheel or drum in such a manner that the longitudinal planes that bisect the openings of their pressing cavities contain the axis of the wheel. This radial construction makes it difficult to find between the inner moulds sufficient space to accommodate the movable holders of the outer moulds. That is why the distance between consecutive inner moulds thereof is relatively great, so that for the accommodation of a predetermined number of inner moulds on the wheel, the radius thereof will be relatively great or, contrariwise, a wheel of predetermined diameter will only be able to carry a relatively small number of inner moulds cooperating each with an individual outer mould.

The invention has for its object to provide a pressing apparatus for cigar bunches, in which a wheel of predetertermined diameter can be provided with a considerably larger number of inner moulds. It consists in that the peripheral distances between the inner moulds, and the position of each inner mould with respect to the wheel are chosen, in such a manner, that each inner mould encloses with the longitudinal plane that bisects the opening of its pressing cavity an acute angle with the radius of the wheel extending towards the longitudinal axis of said pressing cavity, and the plane containing said longitudinal axis and directed at right angles with said longitudinal bisecting plane extends just inwardly of the inner mould which with respect to the direction of rotation of the wheel is the first following one. The most compact embodiment of this rotatable pressing apparatus for cigar bunches is obtained, when the axis of swing of each outer mould lies in or substantially in the said plane containing the longitudinal axis of the pressing cavity of the corresponding inner mould and being directed at right angles to the longitudinal plane that bisects the opening of said cavity, said axis of swinging lying just inwardly of the inner mould which With respect to the direction of rotation of the wheel comes next. In this embodiment the outer mould is moved into and out of the corresponding inner mould substantially in the direction of the longitudinal bisecting plane, since the length of the swinging arm of the outer mould can be made relatively great without the necessity to mount the inner moulds on the wheel at relatively great distances from one another.

Another advantage of the pressing apparatus according to the invention is that the springs for forcing the outer 3,298,377 Patented Jan. 17, 1967 ICC moulds into the inner moulds may be mounted radially in the wheel. In that case long springs may be used, so that during the movement of the outer moulds the force of the springs exerted thereon will vary only slightly.

For the elucidation of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawing. Therein is:

FIG. 1 a plan view of a wheel-shaped pressing apparatus for cigar bunches according to the invention,

FIG. 2 on a larger scale a lateral view of the upper half of said pressing apparatus, and

FIG. 3 partly a plan view and partly a sectional view of a detail of the pressing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the drawing 1 is the rim and 2 are the spokes of a plate-shaped wheel adapted to be rotated stepwise by not-shown means about a shaft 3. A ring 5 having the same outer diameter as the wheel 1, 2 is connected to the rim 1 by means of distancing members 4. Mounted on the periphery of the wheel 1 and the ring 5 are inner moulds 6 for pressing cigar bunches. These inner moulds are each provided with a pressing cavity 7 to take up a cigar bunch to be pressed and they are directed in such a manner, that the longitudinal axis of each one of their pressing cavities is parallel to the axis 3 of the wheel 1, 2 and the longitudinal bisecting plane containing said longitudinal axis of the pressing cavity encloses an acute angle with the plane containing said longitudinal axis and the axis of the shaft 3 of the wheel. Consequently, the inner moulds are, with respect to the usual radial position, angularly displaced about the longitudinal axis of their pressing cavity. This angular displacement is such as to make that the plane containing the longitudinal axis of the pressing cavity and directed at right angles to the plane containing said longitudinal axis and the axis 3 of the wheel, extends just inwardly of the pressing mould which comes next with respect to the direction of rotation of the wheel 1, 2 indicated by the arrow 8.

Each inner mould 6 cooperates with an outer mould 9 which is connected to arms 11 adapted to be swung about a shaft 10. This shaft 10 is situated just inwardly of said next inner mould substantially in the mentioned plane directed at right angles to the plane containing the longitudinal axis of the pressing cavity 7 and the axis 3 of the wheel 1, 2. This construction permits the inner moulds to be mounted relatively close to one another, whereas there is still suflicient space left for the swinging movement of the outer moulds 9.

Each outer mould 9 is pressed into the corresponding inner mould by a radially extending spring 13 engaging the arms 11 at a point 12. The springs 13 are connected with their other ends to the hub of the wheel. This radial position of the springs makes it possible to use long springs which exert on the moving outer moulds 9 a rather constant force.

When a inner mould is at the loading station (see the arrow 14) the outer mould 9 is swung away by means of a pawl 17 loaded by a spring 16 and provided on an arm 15 which is attached to the shaft 3, said pawl being adapted to press against a roller 19 provided on the tail member 18 of one of the arms 11, so that a cigar bunch can be forced out of a transport clamp 20 which is placed above the inner mould (FIG.1). To that end the shaft 3 is moved in the direction of rotation of the wheel by means of an arm 21 and an operating rod adapted to be moved up and down. When the inner mould has taken up a cigar bunch the arm 21 is again moved upwards, so that the relevant outer mould is drawn into said inner mould by its spring 13. Thereafter the wheel 1, 2 is moved through one step. During this movement the roller 19 of the next pressing mould is moved over the pawel 17, said movement being made possible by the yielding of the spring 16.

At the discharging station indicated by the arrow 23 the outer mould is also swung away from its inner mould with the aid of a second arm 24 attached to the shaft 3 and a pawl 26 loaded by a spring 25 and provided on said arm. The device 24, 25, 26 for swinging away the outer mould at the discharging station is identical to and is moved at the same time as the device 15, 16, 17 for swinging away the outer mould at the loading station 14. By means of arms 28 mounted for swinging about a shaft 27 and carrying needles 29 adapted to be inserted endwise in the cigar bunch lying in the inner mould 6 said bunch is removed from said inner mould at the discharging station 23.

Pressing apparatus of the described construction has the advantage that many inner moulds can be mounted on a wheel of a relatively small diameter without making it necessary to use a complicated mechanism for swinging away the outer mould or to use an unfavourable direction of movement of the outer moulds with respect to the inner moulds.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for pressing cigar bunches, comprising a wheel mounted for stepwise rotation, inner moulds mounted at the periphery of said wheel, having each a pressing cavity for the cigar bunch to be pressed and being mounted with their longitudinal axes parallel to the axis of the wheel and at equal distances around the periphery of said wheel, outer moulds, each one of which cooperates with an individual inner mould and is mounted on the wheel for swinging about an axis extending parallel to the axis of the wheel, springs to force the outer moulds into the corresponding inner moulds, a station at which the inner moulds are loaded with cigar bunches to be pressed,

a station at which the pressed cigar bunches are discharged from the inner moulds, and means adapted to swing the outer moulds out of the inner moulds against the force of said springs, when the inner moulds are at the loading station and at the discharging station, the angular position of each inner mould with respect to the wheel being such that the longitudinal plane bisecting the opening of the pressing cavity of each inner mould forms an acute angle with the radius of the wheel extending towards the longitudinal axis of said pressing cavity, and the plane containing the longitudinal axis of said cavity and directed at right angles to said longitudinal bisecting plane extends just inwardly of the next succeeding mould.

2. A pressing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the axis of swinging of each outer mould lies in or substantially in the said plane containing the longitudinal axis of the pressing cavity of the corresponding inner mould and being directed at right angles with the longitudinal bisecting plane of said cavity, said axis of swinging lying just inwardly of the the next succeeding mould.

3. A pressing apparatus as claimedin claim 1, in which the springs for forcing the outer moulds into the inner moulds are provided radially in the wheel.

References Cited by the Examiner I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,578,579 3/1926 Bronander 13185 X 1,876,027 9/ 1932 Schussler. 2,929,384 3/1960 Eissmann 131-87 X SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner. H. P. DEELEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR PRESSING CIGAR BUNCHES, COMPRISING A WHEEL MOUNTED FOR STEPWISE ROTATION, INNER MOULDS MOUNTED AT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WHEEL, HAVING EACH A PRESSING CAVITY FOR THE CIGAR BUNCH TO BE PRESSED AND BEING MOUNTED WITH THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE WHEEL AND AT EQUAL DISTANCES AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WHEEL, OUTER MOULDS, EACH ONE OF WHICH COOPERATES WITH AN INDIVIDUAL INNER MOULD AND IS MOUNTED ON THE WHEEL FOR SWINGING ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE WHEEL, SPRINGS TO FORCE THE OUTER MOULDS INTO THE CORRSPONDING INNER MOULDS, A STATION AT WHICH THE INNER MOULDS ARE LOADED WITH CIGAR BUNCHES ARE DISCHARGED A STATION AT WHICH THE PRESSED CIGAR BUNCHES ARE DISCHARGED FROM THE INNER MOULDS, AND MEANS ADAPTED TO SWING THE OUTER MOULDS OUT OF THE INNER MOULDS AGAINST THE FORCE OF SAID SPRINGS, WHEN THE INNER MOULDS ARE AT THE LOADING STATION AND AT THE DISCHARGING STATION, THE ANGULAR POSITION OF EACH INNER MOULD WITH RESPECT TO THE WHEEL BEING SUCH THAT THE LONGITUDINAL PLANE BISECTING THE OPENING OF THE PRESSING CAVITY OF EACH INNER MOULD FORMS AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH THE RADIUS OF THE WHEEL EXTENDING TOWARDS THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID PRESSING CAVITY, AND THE PLANE CONTAINING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CAVITY AND DIRECTED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID LONGITUDINAL BISECTING PLANE EXTENDS JUST INWARDLY OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING MOULD. 